Shoe holding device



April 8 1952 T. vF. KEENAN 2,592,156

SHOE HOLDING DEVICE Filed Oct. 26, 1950 Patented Apr. 8, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE HOLDING DEVICE Thomas F. Keenan, Albany, N. Y.

Application October 26, 1950, Serial No. 192,204

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a shoe holding device adapted to support and hold shoes firmly in position to be polished or shined, comprising a novel arrangement of Iparts and the" provision of such a device is a principal object of the invention.

Generally, it is an object of the invention to provide such a device which is simple, yet sturdy and durable of construction, economical of man` ufacture, which is positive in action and which will operate with relative freedom from wear and tear, and other mechanical difficulties.

Specifically, objects of the invention are the provision of suchla device in which a pair of substantially parallel vertically spaced-apart arms are connected together at one end of their respective ends by a connecting arm provided with means adapted rigidly to secure the same in position while allowing relative resiliency at the free ends of such arms to aid in holding a shoe firmly locked therebetween; in which there is provided a vertically reciprocable element, freely slidable downwardly, connected to the free end of the upper of said arms, having a shoe holding member at its bottom end, adapted to enter the shoe and hold it in position; in which there is provided actuating means connected to the upper arm adapted to press the slidable element and holding member firmly into shoe holding psition; and locking means connected to the upper arm adapted interlockingly to hold the slidable element in position.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessing the features, properties, and the relation of elements which will be exemplified in the article hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of such a device embodied by the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the lower section of such a device illustrating a modifled form of holding member.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is indicated generally at Il) a shoe holding device comprising a pair of substantially parallel vertically spaced-apart arms and I2 connected together at one of their respective ends by connecting arm I3. These arms may constitute a pipe or rod preferably bent into right angular relation rigidly braced by angle plates III at their bent portions, but permitting the free ends of the arms, and in particular the lower 'of said arms I2, to have a substantial amount of resiliency.

Secured to an intermediate portion of the connecting arm I3, as by welding I5, is a plate I6 adapting the device to be secured in position, for example, against a wall, or other suitable surface, by means of screws I1. Any other suitable equivalent member adapted rigidly to hold such a device in position against a wall or other suitable surface is within the contemplation of the invention. I The lower arm I2, at its free end, preferably has an upwardly bent portion I 8 to which is connected a shoe support I9, the latter having an offset portion 20 adapted to accommodate the heel of a shoe, and adjacent which offset said upwardly projecting member I8 is secured.

A vertically reciprocable and slidable member 2|, preferably in the form of a rack bar having teeth '22 on its forward surface, is connected to the free end of the upper'of said arms II. The bar 2| carries at its lower free end a holding member 23 adapted to enter a shoe and hold it in position.

The upper end of the rack bar 2| is freely slidable in a sleeve 24 connected to the upper arm I and pivotally secured to this sleeve is a ratchet 25. It will be observed that the teeth 22 of the rack bar 2| and the ratchet 25 are so constructed and arranged that the rack bar 2| is freely slidable in the sleeve 24 when the ratchet is disengaged. If the rack bar 2| is raised the ratchet will hold it in upraised position. If the rack bar is moved downwardly when the ratchet is engaged, the latter will hold the rack bar in locked position.

Secured to the upper arm as by welding indicated at 2S, are two spaced-apart members 2'I and 28. An actuating lever 29 which is preferably channeled, is pivotally mounted between the members 21 and 28 by means of a pivot pin 30. The channel portion of the lever 29 is adapt- 'ed to receivethe top of the rack bar at its free end. A gripping member, preferably in the form of a weighted ball 3|, is carried at the free end of the lever 29 and is adapted to be raised, together with the lever, upwardly and outwardly away from the path of the rack bar 2| as illustrated in dotted line position so that it can be sw-ung to a resting position overlying the upper arm In operation, when the member 29 is in an out of the way position and the rack bar 2| is upwardly raised, a shoe is first placed on the supporting element I9. By momentarily releasing the ratchet 25, the rack bar '2| will move downwardly so that the member `23 ycomes to rest in the bottom of the shoe. The lever 29 is then swung toward-the operator in contact with the top of the rack bar and by suitable pressure thereon, suiiicient to spring the lower arm I2 downwardly, the shoe will be held in locked 130- sition by means of the ratchet angularly engaging the upper surface of the teeth 22.

In the modification shown in Fig. 2, the holding member 23 is provided with a channel member 32 having oppositely disposed holes 33. Removably engaging any opposite set of holes is a spring rod arm 34 in the form of a piece of heavy gauge wire bent back upon itself. Carried at the other end of this rod is a shoe form 35 adapted to enter the forepart of a shoe. Downward pressure of the rack bar 2l by means of the lever 2S will cause the shoe form to engage the forepart of the shoe and iler: it downwardly, thereby stretching the leather oi the iorepart across the shoe form to provide a support for properly polishing or shining that portion or the shoe 'by holding it rigidly and iirinly in position.

It will thus be seen that the objects hereil before set forth may readily and efficiently oe attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above article and diierent embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying dre ving shall be interpreted as illustrative and not limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the follow' claims are intended to cover all of the gener and specic features of the invention hei :i described, and all statements or the scope of the invention which, as amatter ci language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention what as new and desire to secure by Letters Pato:

1. A shoe holding device adapted readily to receive and lockingly to hold shoes in position to he polished or shined, comprising a single, elongated, resilient bar of metal bent at substantially right angles at intermediate portions thereof to provide a U-shaped frame composed of an intermediate base portion and two arms out* wardly extending from each end of the base portion an equal distance and in soaced, sub- -stantially parallel relation; a securing bracket connected to an intermediate section of said base portion adapted to secure the same directly to a wall surface; reinforcing elements connecting ranged, secured to the free endof said other arm, which member is aligned substantially directly with the free end or" said first arm and substantially centrally of said shoe support; a rack bar slidably mounted in said sleeve, said bar having a shoe holding member attached to its bottom end, and said bar and holding member being operable to slide downwardly into position gravitationally; a lever pivotally mounted on the said other arm ntermediate the ends thereof, and adapted to be swung into an out-oi-the-way position when the rack bar is raised, and to engage the end of the rack when the latter has been lowered to a position where the holding member engages a shoe in said device in order that downward pressure can be brought thereon so that said resilient arms relatively will be 4slightly sprung apart, but tend to restore-to original position, thereby acting as a clamp firmly to hold a shoe therebetween; and, a ratchet locking member adapted to engage the teeth on the rack bar to hold the latter in raised inoperative position, and locked in lowered operative position.

2. A shoe holding device adapted readily to receive and lockingly to hold shoes in position to be polished or shined, comprising a single, elongated, resilient bar of metal bent at substantially right angles at intermediate portions thereof to provide a U-shaped frame composed of an intermediate base portion and two arms outwardly extending from each end of the base portion an equal distance and in spaced, substantially parallel relation; a securing bracket connected to an intermediate section of said base portion adapted to secure the same directly to a wall surface; reinforcing elements connecting said bar where it is bent at right angles to maintain said angular relation and to permit the extending resilient arms to flex outwardly under pressure to provide a springacting U-shaped frame irmly to clamp said shoes therebetween; a slice support secured to one-of said arms at its free end; a sleeve member, substantially vertically arranged, secured to the free end of said other arm, which member is aligned substantially directly with the free end of said first arm and substantially centrally of said shoe support; a rack bar slidably mounted in said sleeve, said bar having a shoe holding member attached to its bottom end, and said bar and holding member being operable to slide downwardly into position gravitationaly; a lever piv* swung into an out-of-the-way position when the rack bar is raised, and to engage the end of the ack when the latter has been lowered to a po- "ition where the holding member engages a shoe 'n said device in order that downward pressure can be brought thereon so that said resilient arms relatively will be slightly sprung apart, but tend to restore to original position, thereby acting as a clamp firmly to hold a shoe therebetween; a ratchet locking member adapted to engage the teeth on the rack bar to hold the latter in raised inoperative position, and locked in lowered operative position, a shoe form carrying and adjusting member having a plurality of openings therein; a spring rod arm engageable with said openings and carried at one end by said carrying and adjusting member; and, a shoe form carried by said spring rod arm at its other end, said form, when said rack is under pressure, being adapted to engage the fore-part of the shoe and flex it downwardly for polishing and shining by tending to eliminate the `creviees across the fore-part of the shoe.

' THOMAS F. KEENAN.

CETED Tneiollowing references are of record in thc lc of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Millar Feb. 25, 1947 

